Razorbacks hold Saturday scrimmage

November 7, 2014

The University of Arkansas football team held a lengthy scrimmage Saturday morning in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. After the offense got off to a fast start, the defense stepped up in a workout that saw both units compete hard. “It was a good scrimmage and we obviously have a lot of work to do on our consistent execution,” said UA head coach Bobby Petrino. “That will be what we look for next week. We made some big plays, broke tackles, caught the ball, ran with the ball after the catch and that helps with the competitiveness at the positions. The defense came back in the middle to late part of the scrimmage and stopped the run. Basically, it has to come down to consistency and starting fast on both sides of the ball and finishing strong. It will be great video. We got a lot of plays so we’ll be able to study a lot and find out about our players.” Quarterback Ryan Mallett finished 21-of-46 for 360 yards with five touchdowns and one interception while Tyler Wilson also had a big day by going 17-of-27 for 349 yards. He also had five touchdowns and one interception. Nine of the 10 touchdowns the two combined to throw were from distances of 25-or-more yards. “Ryan got off to a fast start and did a nice job in his preparation and focus,” said Petrino. “He needs to relax a little bit and not get down on himself. I think his worst enemy is he expects so much of himself that when he makes a mistake he’s not able to put it behind him and move on. Tyler is doing some nice things. He is throwing the ball well and has the ability to move in the pocket. He has to be able to handle the blitz and continue to work on playing the position from underneath the center.” Sophomore fullback Mitchell Bailey led the team in rushing with 15 carries for 110 yards including an 80-yard touchdown run early in the scrimmage. De’Anthony Curtis also contributed with 14 carries for 93 yards. Broderick Green had two rushing touchdowns of one-yard, and Adrian Moore found the end zone on a one-yard carry as well. “I’ve always liked Mitchell,” said Petrino. “I liked him last year when he was a walk-on and a true freshman. He’s gotten bigger and stronger. He’s very competitive and he’s got to learn how to stay healthy. He’s a guy I like a lot because he can play running back and fullback and catch the ball out of the backfield. Probably the thing I was most impressed with about him from today was his ability to protect the passer. He stepped up and took the blitzer on three times and did a nice job with it.” Four Razorbacks had over 100 receiving yards, including sophomores Jarius Wright and Joe Adams. Wright led the unit with eight receptions for 162 yards and touchdown catches of 44 and 27 yards. Adams had seven receptions for 156 yards and four touchdowns (45, 25, 26, 10). Senior London Crawford had five catches for 129 yards and a 67-yard touchdown catch, while senior Reggie Fish had four catches for 123 yards and touchdown receptions of 40 and 27 yards. “Joe (Adams) made some great plays and unbelievable plays after the catch,” said Petrino. “He has an ability to run with the ball that is real exciting. He needs to be consistent and we have to get him the ball. He’s electrifying with the ball in his hands. He looks like the quickest player out there.” Defensively, senior linebacker Wendel Davis led the way with nine tackles, including one for a loss, one sack and a pass break up. Senior free safety Matt Harris had eight stops and junior cornerback Andru Stewart had seven. Junior cornerback Isaac Madison and sophomore free safety Tramain Thomas each had an interception. The Razorbacks are at the midway point of the spring and continue work next week with practices scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. “I think we’ve taken a lot of strides in two weeks and we have two weeks left to go,” said Petrino. “We will come back next week and install some more and put some more scheme in and we’ll see who can go from there. It was a little different with the installation this week. I didn’t put a lot in. I wanted to go back to last weeks and get better at it. I feel like we did that, particularly defensively, and in the deep passing game in the offense.” Fans are encouraged to check ArkansasRazorbacks.com for the latest information.